European football leaders are growing increasingly concerned about Donald Trump's desire to annex Greenland, prompting informal discussions among around 20 football association heads in Budapest on Monday. The talks, held on the sidelines of an event celebrating the Hungarian football federation's 125th anniversary, touched on potential implications for the upcoming World Cup, according to The Guardian.
The discussions come amid fears that Trump's actions could escalate, with some senior figures suggesting that military aggression to take Greenland—which Trump has not ruled out—would be a tipping point for a Uefa-led boycott or other major protests against the US administration. The US is set to host 78 of the 104 World Cup games in June and July, intensifying the need for a response if the situation worsens.
Fifa's leadership, which has forged close ties with Trump's government, reportedly deems a boycott unlikely at this point. However, calls for such action have emerged, with German politician Jürgen Hardt suggesting it as a last-resort option and a Dutch petition nearing 90,000 signatures by Tuesday evening. Those present in Budapest were united by deep concern, a level of unity not previously seen during Trump's presidency.
Most football federations are expected to follow their governments' responses to the Greenland situation, though some sources have pondered a more proactive approach. There is a sense that if a major European FA takes a stand, others would follow. No definitive steps emerged from the talks, but discussions are likely to continue as the situation evolves.
Uefa's executive committee is next scheduled to meet formally on 11 February in Brussels, the day before the governing body's annual congress. One item unlikely to be on the agenda is Greenland's membership in Uefa; the territory's application was thwarted by a 2013 statute change barring non-independent regions, and no fresh alteration is being considered. Greenland also remains isolated after Concacaf rejected its application last year.
